Free Traffic Legal Advice
Live cases legal advice => Non-motoring legal advice => Topic started by: tawnyess on April 23, 2025, 07:06:17 pm
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some smart repairers work on a per panel basis. some are very good some are sh!t.
as I said I've been there done it and know first hand even national companies will use a repairer local to each branch. they will agree a deal on prices which will generally be cheaper than retail as with all trade work, for example at one point we were doing repairs of some description to an average of 4 vehicles a week. I know for a fact that the costs passed on to the customer were eye watering.
if the OP can gather evidence that the hire Co is taking the p!ss (they will be) then an option (not ness suggesting to do it) would be to call their bluff and say unless they agree to negotiate a "reasonable" fee then refuse to pay and let them issue a claim that can be defended with the evidence of unfair charges. hopefully, the OP has photo evidence of all the damage they are alledging.
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And the invoice pl.
At present, we haven't seen the invoice and therefore have no idea under which of the multiple options you have been charged for returning the vehicle early.
As regards ChipsAway, I'm surprised that a company which quotes for work on a vehicle they haven't seen is still in business.
As regards process:
If you* are the contracted party then they may sue you for their losses. If you lost, you would be liable for their court costs and legal fees, but for small claims sums these would be moderate. They have 6 years in which to do this.
Any judgment against you* which remained unpaid could affect your credit.
*- is 'you' an individual or corporate entity?
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See attached rental agreement
[attachment deleted by admin]
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The injured party has a duty to minimise their losses (which they are seeking to recover from the other party).
It seems highly probable that the rental company could negotiate a far better deal with a reputable supplier than the OP could - although as the OP has seen fit not to trouble us with any relevant details, I'm struggling to care.
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What does the rental agreement say? Probably that they will get any repairs needed at your expense. And they have the choice over where to repair the car. It's inevitable that they will have preferred suppliers which will be large, corporate bodies with higher overheads and higher costs than a man-and-a-van outfit. Also they won't attempt to drive a hard bargain as it's not them paying. Inevitably, you'll always lose out. Unless they're really taking the p*** (and it does happen), you probably don't have a case.
You could attempt to say you'll repair it yourself, but they're unlikely to agree (probably too late now anyway). And even if they did, they would no doubt add a huge "inspection/indemnity fee" to make sure the repair is up to scratch, leaving you no better off.
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Debt collectors generally just send threatening letters.
They eventually give up, at which point the rental company may choose to engage solicitors to seek to recover the money via court. How much money are they seeking for the repairs?
Another potentially relevant factor, of which we currently know nothing, is what your rental agreement says about repairs.
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Does anyone know what the rental company can do legally ? They have threatened with debt collection, what would be the process they would take?
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that's not to say you haven't had your pants pulled down.
I used to do repairs for a branch of a national car rental company. I can tell you their charges to the customer were nothing short of extortionate.
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Chips Away are a "smart repairer" they usually operate mobile and carry out repairs at you home.
There are restrictions to their capabilities compared to a proper bodyshop. so comparison would depend on the type/severity of the damage.
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I had a long time rental vehicle which I have now returned. I was given a final invoice on the day and told them I could not afford this. We setup a payment plan and I went on my way. I had then since asked a repair company called ChipsAway who I provided the same invoice to, to see what their quotes were like. Chipsaway were far cheaper than the rental company. I have told the rental company I'd be happy to pay what ChipsAway have quoted. They have threatened me with debt collection if I dont pay original invoice.
Where do I stand here?
If the damage is your fault / liability then you need to pay an amount to the rental company to make them whole.
The amount must not be unreasonable, but if they have a preferred company to use then the amount is not unreasonable merely because another company is cheaper.
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No idea.
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I had a long time rental vehicle which I have now returned. I was given a final invoice on the day and told them I could not afford this. We setup a payment plan and I went on my way. I had then since asked a repair company called ChipsAway who I provided the same invoice to, to see what their quotes were like. Chipsaway were far cheaper than the rental company. I have told the rental company I'd be happy to pay what ChipsAway have quoted. They have threatened me with debt collection if I dont pay original invoice.
Where do I stand here?